Electrotherapeutic apparatus.



Patented May 27, I902.

G. W. EUKER. ELECTROTHERAPEUTIC APPARATUS.

(Application filed Feb. 26, 1902.)

(No Model.)

attomwng iiL'Wllllllll "IWIIIIIH UNITED STATES: PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE WILLIAM EUKER, OF RICHMOND, VIRGINIA, ASSIGNOR TO EDWIN O. MEYER,F RICHMOND, VIRGINIA.

ELECTROTHERAPEUTiO APPARATUS.

' SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 701,185, dated May27, 1902.

Application filed February 26, 1902. Serial. No. 95,728. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern: ing-posts l and 2. The binding-post l iscon- Be it known thatI, GEORGE WILLIAM EU- nected by wire 3 to aterminal 4 of the alter- KER, a citizen of the United States, residinghating-current circuit-breaker c, and thence atRichmond, in the countyof I-Ienrico and through the carbon-breaks c o and coil 0 of 55 5Stateiof Virginia, have invented certain new cut-out, thence to terminal5, no-arc fuse 6, and useful Improvements in Electrotherathence by wire7 to one of the lower points of peutic Apparatus; and I do declare thefolthe main switch d. The main binding-post 2 lowing to be a full,clear, and exact descripis connected by wire 8 to one of the terminalstion of the invention, such as will enable oth of the no-arc fuse 30,and thence by wire 10 6o 10 ers skilled in the art to which itappertains to the other lower point of the main switch (1.

to make and use the same, reference being One of the upper points ofthis switch d conhad to the accompanying drawings, and to the nects bywire 11 to one of the terminals of a letters and figures of referencemarked therechoking-coil rheostat or cycle-regulator e, the on, whichform a partof this specification. other terminal of which connects bywire 12 65 I 5 This invention relates to improvements in to one of thefield-terminals of the motor a.

electrotherapeutic apparatus, and more espe- The other field-terminal ofthis motor is concially to the converting and controlling of alnected bywire 13 to one of the lower middle ternating currents of high pressures,such as points of j a three-blade switch f and thence usually furnishedfor commercial use, and through the switch to wire l-l, which con- 70 2orendering the same available for thearapeunects to the motor-brush a.The other mo tie and other medical or surgical purposes. tor-brush aconnects by wire 15 to one of the The principal object of this inventionis to upper central points of the switch f and then supplant the crude,annoying, and expensive through the central blade of said switch bybattery hitherto considered the only practiwire 16 to the main switchcl. The object of 7 5 2 5 cal source of therapeutic current by currentthis cycle-regulator is to render the motor at derived from ordinaryelectric-light serviceadaptable to any of the commercial alternatmainsand to so govern the current as to ining-current systems. Many suchsystems resure absolute safety to the patient, and, furquire motors tobe wound and constructed ther, to render the apparatus for utilizingwith especial reference to the periodicity of 8'0 this current operativeon an alternating-curcurrent that they employ. Ilencea motor conrentcircuit of any of the commercial frestructed to operate upon aone-hundred-andquencies. forty-cycle system would not ordinarily work Tothese ends the said invention comprises upon a twenty-fiveor fifty cyclesystem. My the combination and arrangement of parts invention by the useof the cycle-regulator 85 3 5 hereinafter more fully described, andparticherein shown overcomes this difficulty.

7 ularly pointed out inthe claims. The operation consists simplyin adjust-ing Referring to the accompanying drawings, the handle e of thecycle-regulator 6 until Figure l is a front elevation of a switchboardthe desired amount of impedance 6 is in the with the apparatus andconnections embodymotor-circuit to produce the required freo 40 ing thisinvention mounted thereon and conquency.

nected thereto, and Fig. 2 is a bottom plan The motor a is started byclosing the view of the foot-rheostat. switch d.

The apparatus constituting my invention The direct-current dynamo b ispreferably is mounted upon a switchboard A of anysuitshunt-wound andprovided with a field-rheo- 5 able insulating materialsuch as slate,marstat g, the terminals of which are -connectedin ble, or porcelainandcomprises, among other the field-circuit of said dynamo by wires 17.parts, an alternating-current motor a, direct The armature-brush b ofthis generator concoupled through a shaft b with a direct-cue nects bywire 18 to one of the binding-posts of I rent shunt-wound dynamo Z), thetwo together a milliampere-meter, while the other-binding 100 iconstituting a rotary converter. The alterpost of this meter isconnected by wire 19 to l natingcurrent mains are connected to bindonoof the terminals 7' of a shunt-rheostat 9'.

The circuit then passes out of the terminal of said rheostat and entersthe left-hand blade of the reversing-switch .2, passes through saidswitch into the wire 20,'and passes into the plus binding-post. Thedynamo-brush b is connected by wire 23 to the carbon-contact of thedirect-current circuit-breaker 7c. The circuit then passes through theother carbon-contact N, then by wires 24 25 to a binding-post of thecoil of the voltmeter I, thence out of the other binding-post of saidvoltmeter by wire 26, which connects to one of the binding-posts of theshunt-rheostatj. The circuit then passes by wire 26 to the blade of thereversing-switche', crossing over to the lower left-hand point of saidswitch, and by wire 27, terminatingin binding-post 22. It will thereforebe seen that the dynamo I), together with the shuntj and voltmeter Z, isconnected in shunt across the binding-posts 21 22, while themilliammeter 7L will bein series with the object connected to saidbinding-posts. The shuntj, however, is provided with a stop 7' at thelowest point of resistance, (two hundred and twenty-five ohms,) sothatnever more than half of an ampere at one hundred and twenty-fivevolts ever passes said resistance. The reversingswitch 2 is connected,as shown, in such manner that when in the up position current will flowin one direction through the object connected to binding-posts 21 and 22and in the opposite direction when the said switch is down. Therefore tofurnish direct current to any object connect to the binding-posts 21 and22.

The voltmeter Z is of peculiar construction, being adapted to cooperatewith the circuitbreaker 7tand automatically break thedirectcurrent-dynamo circuit when the voltage exceeds a predeterminedamount. To this end I provide the voltmeter with an adjustablecontact-point m, carried by an arm pivoted, as at m, and provided with aknob m by which the said contact-point may be adjusted to any desiredposition on the voltmeter-scale and is so mounted as to lie in the pathof the index or pointer Z The contact m is connected through its pivotand a binding-post to a wire 28, which connects to one of the terminalsof the coil of the circuit-b1'eaker7.;, while the voltmeter-pointer isconnected, as by wire 29, to the lower point of the no-arc fuse 30. Whenthe voltage rises to such an extent as to send the pointer Z intoengagement with the contact m, current from thealternating-current-motor circuit will flow through the coils of thecircuit-breaker 7;, causing it to break the circuit of the directcurrentdynamo. The circuit of the alternating current will be from the lowerpoint of fuse 29 to voltmeter-pointer, contact m,

all times strong enough to actuate the circuitbreaker, whereas thedirect current may at times be too feeble, though any increase thereinmight be fatal or injurious to the patient.

An alternating-current voltmeter to indi cate the voltage of theservice-mains maybe connected to them at any suitable point.

I employ also a static alternating-current transformer n, comprising aprimary coil 01 and three secondaries n a and 91 the secondary n beingthe cautery coil and is provided with very coarse or heavy winding. Thesecondary it produces the sinusoidal current and is much finer, as isalso the coil a. The circuit of the primary of said transformer is fromthe left-hand upper point of the main switch, through the said coil to asingle-b1ade switch 0, thence back to the upper right-hand point of saidmain switch. The secondary coils of this transformer are shown removedfrom the primary, but in practice are Wound on cores and slipped oversaid primary. It a cautery current is desired, connect to binding-postsIf it is desired to use small lamps of half a volt or upward, connect tobinding-post 34, and to obtain a sinusoidal current connect tobinding-posts 35. These binding-posts are connected to their respectivesecondaries by the wires 36, 37, and 38, as clearly shown. A pulsatorycurrent may be obtained by connecting to the bindingposts 40 41. Thesebinding-posts connect by wires 42 43 with the primary of theinductioncoil 23 of a pulsator having one terminal of its secondaryconnected, as by wire 44, with one of the brushes of the direct-currentdynamo, while the other terminal connects by wire 45 through asingle-blade switch q with a pendulum contact-maker having an adjustableweight p by which the period of its oscillation may be varied. Theoscillating contact-maker engages a fixed contact 29 which connects bywire 46 to the other brush 1) of the direct current dynamo. To obtain afaradic current, connect to binding posts 4748. These binding-posts areconnected by wires 49 50 with the secondary of a faradic induction-coil0, one terminal of the primary of which is connected to the brush b ofthe dynamo and the other through the wire 51, single-blade switch .9,vibrator r, and contact r with the other brush b of the said dynamo. Forcharging storage batteries connect to binding-posts 52 Thesebindingposts are connected to the double-throw reversing-switch t bywires 54, the said switch being connected to wires 44 and 46, leading toand from the brushes of the dynamo. By throwing this switch 25' up thecurrent from the binding-posts 52 53 passes in one direction, while ifthe switch is thrown down the current from said binding-posts isreversed. As it is often useful in charging storage batteries to reversethe current, this arrangement affords means for doing this without thenecessity of disconnecting the batteries.

For the purpose of operating drills, saws and the like I provide aflexible shaft u, having a handpiece 1; at one end and at the otherconnected to a rotatable disk '0 which by means of an adj usting-nut 11may be brought into contact with and receded from a small power-pulley rmounted on the shaft connecting the motor and dynamo. The pulley o isprovided with a peripheral rubber band '0 I also provide for use withthe flexible shaft attachment a three-speed reversiblealternating-current foot-rheostat w,from which leads a cable 10,containing four wires, which connect,respectively,to the four binding-posts 55, 56, 57, and 58, the said binding-posts being connected, asshown, to the three-blade reversing-switchf, and thence to the motor a,as shown. This rheostat is operated by foot by means of the lever 10which may be held by the locking device w in any of the three operatingpositions on either side of the central point.

Located above the meters are two pilotlamps 00 so, which are connectedin the alternating-current main circuit through the single-blade switchy.

Finally, the whole apparatus on the board A may be inclosed in a glassor other suitable casing to protect it against injury from the outside.

Having described a form of my invention, it is obvious that I may makechanges and alterations therein without departing from the spirit of thesame; but

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates, is

1. In electrotherapeutic apparatus,the combination with a pair ofalternating-current service-mains, of a rotary converter connected tosaid mains, and a combined voltmeter and automatic cut-out for limitingthe voltage of the direct current from said converter.

2. The improved means for limiting the vol= tage of a source ofelectricity for therapeutic purposes, comprising a voltmeter measuringthe voltage of the direct therapeutic current, an adjustable contactoperated by said voltmeter, and a circuit-breaker operated through saidcontact.

3. In electrotherapeutic apparatus, the combination with a mainalternating-current circuit, of a rotary converter operated by thecurrent in said circuit, and means for automatically limiting thevoltage of the direct current produced by said converter, said meanscomprising a voltmeter connected in said direct=current circuit, anadjustable contact operated by said voltmeter, and a circuitbreakerlocated in said alternating-current circuit and operated by the contactof said voltmeter.

4. The combination with a pair of alternating-current service-mains, ofa rotary converter connected thereto, a cycle-regulator connected in thealternating-current circuit of said converter, and electrotherapeuticapparatus connected inthe direct and alternating current circuit of saidconverter.

5. The combination with a pair of alternating-current service-mains, ofa rotary converter connected thereto, a cycle-regulator comprising anadjustable choking-coil connected in the alternating-current circuit ofsaid converter, and electrotherapeutic apparatus connected in the directand alternating current circuit of said converter.

6. In electrotherapeutic apparatus, the combination with a pair ofalternating-min rent service-mains, of a rotary converter con nected tosaid mains, and a pulsator operated by the direct current from saidconverter and adapted to produce pulsations of varying periods.

7. In electrotherapeutic apparatus, the combination with a pair ofalternating-current service-mains, of a rotary converter connected tosaid mains, and a pulsator operated by the direct current from saidconverter and adapted to produce pulsations of varying periods, saidpulsator comprising aninductiom coil provided with a circuit-interrupterconsisting of an oscillating contact-maker having an adjustable weightattached thereto.

8. In electrotherapeutic apparatus, the combination with a pair ofalternating-current service-mains, of a rotary converter connectedthereto, a flexible shaft and a coupling for connecting said shaft tosaid rotary converter.

9. In electrotherapeutic apparatus, the combination with a pair ofalternating-current service-mains, of a rotary converter connected tosaid mains, and a rheostat connected in multiple with the direct-currentterminals of said converter, substantially as and for the purposesherein specified.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE WILLIAM EUKER.

Witnesses:

S. S. P. PATTESON, O. C. CoUsINs.

